The strategic coordination of European Circular Economy R&I will result in an aligned approach between EU member states on key priorities and targets for the circular economy transition. Moreover, the platform has created a space for more co-creation and knowledge sharing, generating value from best practices between programmes owners to ensure circular economy programme development is more efficient.
Through the analysis of funding programmes for Circular Economy in Europe and beyond, the project has explored the role policy can play to support innovation for a Circular Economy transition in Europe, with a specific focus on challenges and key success factor. This, in turn, provides guidance to programme owners on best practices in the development of circular economy joint programmes, and enabled the project to build a demand-driven joint programming platform to bridge existing gaps.
To support implementation of joint programmes, the Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) provides stakeholders with a key document outlining priority themes and innovation areas for the efficient transition to a circular economy in Europe, as well as pre-defined joint programmes around specific challenge areas. The SRIA will in turn help overcome the current fragmentation of Circular Economy funds in Europe, ensuring a more effective and efficient allocation of funds across the European territory. This will result in job creation, in the development of new innovations, increased systemic approach to circular transition, and in strengthening the resilience of the EU economy.
Finally, the development of the platform, including a business model, a governance and a legal model, a capacity building strategy, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for POs and a policy toolkit, will support stakeholders in the implementation of joint programming across borders and sectors in Europe. Several socio-economic and wider societal impacts will be achieved: establishing a network of POs in Circular Economy programming; orchestration of joint Research & Innovation initiatives, higher social and environmental impacts of Research and Innovation initiatives.
Through the above activities the project successfully demonstrated the need for a coordination mechanism for CE programming, positioning itself as a backbone for the efficient design of systemic circular economy transition programmes.
